Decir is a fundamental Spanish verb expressing the act of saying or telling, essential for communication. It is irregular and widely used in various contexts, from direct speech to reported speech.
- Meaning: to say, to tell
- Type: Irregular verb
- Usage: Expressing speech, information, orders, reported speech
- Core: Often used with indirect object pronouns (me, te, le...) to indicate to whom something is told
*Decir* is used when you say or tell something.
Present Indicative
| Person | Decir | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Digo | Irregular root and ending |
| Tú | Dices | Regular -es pattern |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Dice | Regular -e pattern |
| Nosotros/as | Decimos | Regular pattern |
| Vosotros/as | Decís | Regular pattern |
| Ellos/Uds. | Dicen | Regular -en pattern |
Decimos is the correct form for 'we say/tell.'
Example:
- Yo digo la verdad. (I tell the truth.)
- ¿Qué dices? (What do you say?)
- Decimos que sí. (We say yes.)
Preterite
| Person | Decir | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Dije | Root: dij-; endings unique |
| Tú | Dijiste | |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Dijo | |
| Nosotros/as | Dijimos | |
| Vosotros/as | Dijisteis | |
| Ellos/Uds. | Dijeron | No 'c' in ending |
The correct form is dijeron.
Example:
- Ella dijo la verdad. (She told the truth.)
- Nosotros dijimos no. (We said no.)
Imperfect
| Person | Deciría | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Decía | Root: dec-; regular endings |
| Tú | Decías | |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Decía | |
| Nosotros/as | Decíamos | |
| Vosotros/as | Decíais | |
| Ellos/Uds. | Decían |
Decías is the correct imperfect form.
Example:
- Cuando era niño, decía muchas cosas. (When I was a child, I used to say many things.)
- Ellos decían la verdad siempre. (They always said the truth.)
Conditional
| Person | Deciría | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Diría | Root changes to dir- |
| Tú | Dirías | |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Diría | |
| Nosotros/as | Diríamos | |
| Vosotros/as | Diríais | |
| Ellos/Uds. | Dirían |
The conditional stem is dir-.
Example:
- Yo diría la verdad si... (I would tell the truth if...)
- ¿Qué dirías tú? (What would you say?)
Future
| Person | Future | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | Diré | Same as conditional (dir-) |
| Tú | Dirás | |
| Él/Ella/Ud. | Dirá | |
| Nosotros/as | Diremos | |
| Vosotros/as | Diréis | |
| Ellos/Uds. | Dirán |
Example:
- Te diré lo que pasó. (I will tell you what happened.)
- Ellos dirán su opinión. (They will say their opinion.)
Common Expressions
- Decir la verdad — To tell the truth
- Decir mentiras — To tell lies
- Decir adiós — To say goodbye
- Decir algo — To say something
- Decir que sí/no — To say yes/no
Decir la verdad means 'to tell the truth.'
'Decir adiós' means 'to say goodbye.'
Example:
- Siempre digo la verdad.
- ¿Qué dices cuando sales? Siempre digo adiós.
- El profesor dijo que sí.
Indirect Speech: Decir
Decir is essential for reported speech (indirect speech) in Spanish.
- When reporting what someone else said, decir is used with a clause introduced by que (that):
Direct: Juan dice, "Estoy cansado."
Reported: Juan dice que está cansado.
- The verb following decir in indirect speech is conjugated according to the subject (not as a quotation).
- For past reporting, the verb after que often shifts to the imperfect/subjunctive, etc., depending on the tense in the main clause.
You use 'que' to introduce the reported clause.
Examples:
| Direct Speech | Indirect Speech |
|---|---|
| María dice: "Voy al cine." | María dice que va al cine. |
| Pedro dijo: "No tengo hambre." | Pedro dijo que no tenía hambre. |
| Ellos dirán: "Llegaremos tarde." | Ellos dirán que llegarán tarde. |
Ella dijo que estaba feliz (using past tense in the reported clause).
Conclusion
Decir is a versatile and crucial verb for expressing communication in Spanish. Its irregular forms and use in both direct and indirect speech make it essential for learners.
- Meaning: to say, to tell
- Irregular conjugations in present, preterite, conditional, and future
- Central in reported speech with the structure: subject + decir + que + [clause]